MD prepares $2 million for the maintenance of two Navy ships

DILI, january 10, 2022 (TATOLI)— The Ministry of Defense has allocated more than USD 2 million for the maintenance of two Navy ships purchased from China since 2010, to ensure control of maritime borders between Timor-Leste, Australia, and Indonesia.

Director-General of the Ministry of Defense, Nuno Carvalho dos Santos explained that in 2021 the Ministry of Defense had submitted the funds but the implementation process could not be carried out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the 2022 state budget, we have prepared more than $2 million for the repair of two Navy ships, the funds will also be used for other basic needs and also to help the Authority in the future,” Nuno Carvalho dos Santos told Tatoli in Ministry of Defense office in Fatuhada, Monday.

He explained that the government only opened the tender process in early January to provide opportunities for national and international companies capable of repairing the two ships, which are targeted for completion by the end of 2022.

This decision was immediately taken by the government considering that these two ships have not been repaired since 2015 even though the ships are important to use for the operation in the maritime border between Timor-Leste, Indonesia, and Australia.

The two ships are Jaco Class which is a second-class patrol boat operated by the Naval Component of the Timor Leste Defense Force. The ships were built in China with the Type 062 class warship design (also known as the Shanghai II class. The two ships were named Jaco and Betano and were commissioned into Timor-Leste service in late June 2010.

Journalist: José Belarmino De Sa

Editor: Nelia B